Ship of Fools (1965)

81% of critics liked it
(16 reviews)
72% of users liked it
(1,017 ratings)

The first person the audience sees in Ship of Fools is dwarf Michael Dunn, who speaks to viewers directly and acts as a Greek chorus throughout the film. It begins on the deck of an ocean liner travelling from Vera Cruz to Bremerhaven. The time is the 1930s, so close and yet so far from war. The… More The first person the audience sees in Ship of Fools is dwarf Michael Dunn, who speaks to viewers directly and acts as a Greek chorus throughout the film. It begins on the deck of an ocean liner travelling from Vera Cruz to Bremerhaven. The time is the 1930s, so close and yet so far from war. The cross-section of humanity on board includes ship's doctor Oscar Werner, Spanish political activist Simone Signoret, aging coquette Vivien Leigh, hedonistic baseball player Lee Marvin, philosophical Jew Heinz Ruhmann, a smattering of pro- and anti-Hitlerites (Jose Ferrer plays the nastiest and most vocal "pro") and young lovers George Segal and Elizabeth Ashley. Yes, it's Grand Hotel at sea, a feast for stargazers and an endurance test for those who aren't comfortable with non-stop speechmaking. Despite such lines as "What can the Nazis do? Kill all six million of us?," Ship of Fools manages to stay afloat throughout its 148 minutes. Michael Dunn was nominated for an Academy Award for his interlocutory characterization; the rest of the performances range from brilliant to merely filling up the room. Other Oscars were presented to cinematographer Ernest Lazslo and to the art-direction staff. Ship of Fools was adapted by Abby Mann from the novel by Katharine Ann Porter. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 2 hr. 29 min.
Directed By: Stanley Kramer
Written By: Abby Mann, Katherine Anne Porter
Genres: Drama, Romance, Classics

In Theaters: Jul 29, 1965 Wide
On DVD: Dec 2, 2003
Studio: Columbia Pictures

Critic Reviews

Variety Staff, Variety
Director-producer Stanley Kramer and scenarist Abby Mann have distilled the essence of Katherine Anne Porter's bulky novel in a film that appeals to the intellect and the emotions.
Bosley Crowther, New York Times
A powerful, ironic film.
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
As glib as Stanley Kramer often is, there is probably nothing glibber in his entire output than this Abby Mann adaptation of Katherine Anne Porter's novel.
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Superb acting in an Abby Mann script that seldom descends into bathos.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Prestigious and literary cinema at its most ponderous, transfer of Porter's novel to the the big screen by Kramer (the wrong director) is crude and pretentious, but some of the performances, particularly Signoret, Leigh and Dunn, are good.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
The black-and-white overlong, dated and uneven film, a less than endearing talk-fest, is rescued from drowning in a sea of words by its fine cast.
Tom Milne, Time Out
Don't look now, but as you might expect with message-mad Kramer at the helm of this adaptation of Katherine Anne Porter's novel, there's a heavy allegory aboard.
Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan
All-star cast in ultimately grim tale.
, Film4
The film's interest lies in the excellent cast.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
It makes for OK drama all the same, but it's all on the heavy-handed side. Well, subtlety was never Kramer's strong suit.
Michael W. Phillips, Jr., Goatdog's Movies
Werner and Signoret were wonderful, and deserved their nominations.

Read all 11 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

moon r

A second class luxury liner leaves from Mexico on its way to Germany in the days before WWll. Onboard a cross-section of humanity ... and their afflictions ... there in the twilight zone that voyages can be and seeking resolutions when we know that resolutions are only a bedtime… More
A second class luxury liner leaves from Mexico on its way to Germany in the days before WWll. Onboard a cross-section of humanity ... and their afflictions ... there in the twilight zone that voyages can be and seeking resolutions when we know that resolutions are only a bedtime story we tell children, and ourselves. Uneven yet still compelling work.
jay n

Compelling, tragic character study. Superb acting by Signoret, Werner and Vivien Leigh.

Cast

            Vivien Leigh as Mary Treadwell

            Simone Signoret as La Condesa

            José Ferrer as Rieber

            Lee Marvin as Bill Tenny

            Oskar Werner as Dr. Schumann

            Elizabeth Ashley as Jenny

            George Segal as David

            Jose Greco as Pepe

            Michael Dunn (I) as Glocken

            Charles Korvin as Capt. Thiele

            Lilia Skala as Frau Hutten

            Barbara Luna as Amparo

            Christiane Schmidtmer as Lizzi

            Alf Kjellin as Freytag

            John Wengraf as Graf

            Olga Fabian as Frau Schmitt

            Gila Golan as Elsa

            Oscar Beregi Sr. as Lutz

            Stanley Adams as Hutten

            Kaaren Verne as Frau Lutz

            Charles de Vries as Johann

            Henry Calvin as Fat Man

            Paul Daniel as Carlos

            David Renard as Woodcarver

            Anthony Brand as Guitarist

            Jon Alvar as Student

            Walter Friedel as Waiter

            Steven Geray as Steward

            Werner Klemperer as Lt. Huebner

            Peter Mamakos as Religious Man

            Heinz Rühmann as Lowenthal

            Eddie Baker
            
            Charles H. Radilac as Headwaiter
See full cast